Remote-directed management of media content

• US 20030097379A1
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: North Star Innovations Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SONICblue Incorporated
• Inventors: Ireton, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,043,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

A remote media player and methods for managing content. The media player includes storage to store content files. A user interface allows the user to make content selections. The content selections are used with a content database to manage the relationships between the selections and the content files. The player also includes a processor to perform organization tasks on the content files based upon the content selections.

Claims

1. A media player, comprising:

a storage to store content files;

a user interface allowing a user to make content selections;

a content database to manage relationships between content selections and the content files; and

a processor to perform at least one organizational task on at least one of the content files based upon the content selections.

2. The media player of claim 1, wherein the content files are music files.

3. The media player of claim 1, wherein the content files are video files.

4. The media player of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a display and control buttons.

5. The media player of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a display and an alphanumeric keypad.

6. The media player of claim 1, wherein the organizational task further comprises sorting the content files.

7. The media player of claim 1, wherein the organizational task further comprises searching the content files.

8. A method of updating content on a media device, the method comprising:

receiving a user input signal to identify a selection of content files;

accessing a database, wherein the database provides a list of content files associated with the selection of content files.

connection of the player to a source of content; and

executing at least one predefined rule to perform at least one operation on at least one content file associated with the selection of content files.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the source of content files is a media server.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the source of content files is a network.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the operation further comprises adding at least one content file to the media player.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the operation further comprises deleting at least one content file from the media player.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the operation further comprises transferring the content file to the source of content prior to deleting the content file from the player.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the rule further comprises transferring content to fill play lists sequentially.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the rule further comprises transferring content across play lists.

16. A method of adding content on a media player, the method comprising:

receiving a user input signal at the player, wherein the user input signal identifies a selection of content files;

accessing a database, wherein the database provides a list of content files associated with the collection of content files;

determining if any content files in the list of content files do not exist on the player;

connecting the player to a source of content; and

adding any content files not already existing on the media player.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein adding any content files not already existing on the media player further comprises filling play lists sequentially.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein adding any content files not already existing on the media player further comprises transferring files across play lists.

19. An article containing machine-readable code that, when executed, causes a machine to:

receive a user input signal to identify a selection of content files;

access a database, wherein the database provides a list of content files associated with the selection of content files.

connect the player to a source of content; and

execute predefined rules to perform at least one operation on content files associated with the selection of content files.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the code causing the machine to execute predefined rules further comprises code that, when executed, causes the machine to add content files to the media player.

21. The article of claim 19, wherein the code causing the machine to execute predefined rules further comprises code that, when executed, causes the machine to delete at least one content file on the media player.

22. The article of claim 21, wherein the code causing the machine to execute predefined rules further comprises code that, when executed, causes the machine to transfer the content file to the content source prior to deleting the content file from the player.

23. The article of claim 20, wherein the code causing the machine to execute predefined rules further comprises code that, when executed, causes the machine to transfer content to fill play lists sequentially.

24. The article of claim 20, wherein the code causing the machine to execute predefined rules further comprises code that, when executed, causes the machine to transfer content across play lists.